Google Project Glass, How Will These Glasses Work in Real Life?

The design concept for Google Glasses looks pretty cool, until you realize how annoying it will be - Especially in NYC.

Today Google released a new concept for augmented reality glasses that allow you to stay perpetually connected. The glasses, dubbed ‘Project Glass’ will stream all varieties of digital media via a ‘heads up display’ imbedded directly into these futuristic shades. The promotional video shows a man going about his daily life, in New York City, helped along by all the perfectly timed suggestions from his new glasses.

While this certainly looks like one of the coolest new pieces of tech that could sublimate laptops and smart phones – the adoption of this technology just isn’t practical. Taking into account our massive daily media consumption, the Google Glasses will inundate you with reminders, texts, calls, emails, suggestions, invites, videos, etc. Not to mention, you’ll have to walk around wearing some goofy looking shades all day.

Comments

I agree. One of the biggest problems we face with the constant barrage of digital media is that it is inundating and distracting. Simply put, there is just too much out there, too many invites and people and notifications to handle.

Technology like this, or for that matter digital media holistically, needs to become “smart”. What I mean by this is that what is displayed needs to compliment someones life and fulfill their desired wants and needs– and I stressed desired!

I dont know how the technology would work, but I only want notifications for things that are important to me, are intertwined with my life and connect to my goals and daily business.

Example: I get a call from my university academic adviser informing me that there is a unique leadership opportunity at John Hancock Mutual Funds. What I would like to happen then is for the smart technology to pull up the email in my inbox regarding the leadership opportunity while pulling up the Facebook page for John Hancock with more current information. Cross reference all of that information on both sources with the information from adviser on the phone to help me pull out the most important information. The smart tech should run the time and date of the event through my calendar automatically to see if I am even available during that time. Etc. etc. etc.

Technology needs to start thinking the way that its unique user does to become more of a helping partner than a hands-on, user-has-to-control-everything nightmare.

Because it will be impossible to take the glass off your head once you put it on. And notification settings and controls, what are those? I customize the notifications on my Android device, why would this be any different? Simply put it’s just a hand’s free smartphone. Email, Navigation, Video Calls, just wearable and less distracting than a handheld device that you look down at. There’s a reason fighter jets have HUDs, they actually are safer and faster than looking down. Soon cars will display your speed and navigation route as an overlay on the windshield, if not driving themselves like another Google project. Exciting times and exciting technology.

We started out in the interactive space *pulling* the information we wanted. But the people who wanted to monetize the experience knew that to do so they had to *push* content. We need to fix this. Even facebook is *push* and we need to grow out of it.

One of the nicest things I ever did for myself was turning off email on my smartphone. The constant little flashing light on the top was taking way to much attention. Now, if I want to check it, I open up the browser and check it.

I think that it is a great idea. Helping people stay on track, and providing quick updates to a change in a schedule or something important. But like Mzimmer said, I also think that the user should be able to customize almost every aspect of the device, or it will become more of a burden then a help.

Lol Google cant make anything these days without people making fun of it. I really like the idea, but the original video is in first person which is quite smart as I guess wearing that thing on your head may make you look a bit silly.